I Will Forever
by Blazeheart
Summary: Birch X Apple. This is my first fic! Finally, Birchheart knows how he feels. But what will Applefur think? Does she remember the kithood days? Does she really care for him? Rated for saftey. PS: I don't own Warriors.
1. Confessions

**So... this is my first story on fanfic. I hope you like it! Thanks to Dreamcloud's Courage for helping me perfect this.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. If I did, Brook would've come to the Clans and Stormfur would still be a RiverClan cat.**

* * *

Wind rustled through the gray tom's fur. The moon shone on his pelt, giving him an eerie, spirit-like glow. His vigil was a long, cold one; he had received his warrior name at sunset. 

_Birchheart._

The only things that kept Birchheart awake were his constant thoughts. He was thinking of a she-cat, a beautiful, golden-red she-cat.

_Applepaw._

He needed to see her. Toadpaw and Marshpaw too. They were his best friends. But he couldn't! What would his Clan think? What would they _do? _

The tom sighed with relief as the sun began to overtake the moon, creeping above the rocky cliffs of ThunderClan's camp. His vigil would soon be over, as soon as the first cat woke.

_Applepaw._

What would he do?

"G'morning, Birchheart," a tom's voice said from behind him. "Your vigil's over."

Pushing himself onto his paws, Birchheart turned to face his brother. "Thanks, Spiderleg. I feel like I could sleep for a moon!" He laughed.

Spiderleg gave him a playful cuff on the ear. "Well, wait until the Clan wakes. Then rest up. You'll need to if you're going to the Gathering tonight!"

"Too right," another tom's voice came. It was Firestar. "Go get some fresh-kill, and then follow Spiderleg's advice. Go to sleep. You will be coming tonight, of course."

Birchheart's heart soared. _Maybe Applepaw will be there! _He thought excitedly. He nodded to Firestar respectfully, and padded slowly over to the fresh-kill pile, where Squirrelflight had already settled down with a plump mouse. Choosing a shrew for himself, Birchheart padded over to join her.

"Congratulations again," Squirrelflight meowed through her food.

"Thanks," he replied absentmindedly. He couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was one she-cat.

_Applepaw._

* * *

Birchheart pushed his way through the throng of cats on the island, desperately looking for Applepaw, Toadpaw, and Marshpaw. _I hope they came, _he thought. _I don't know what I'll do if they didn't._

"Birchpaw!" A young voice cried out.

Spinning on his paws, Birchheart turned to face the voice. "Toadpaw!" He cried gleefully. _Does that mean the Marshpaw and Applepaw are here too?_

"Actually, it's Toadfoot now," he meowed, coming up to him.

"Congratulations! I'm Birchheart," he mewed proudly. "Are Marshpaw and Applepaw here too?"

""You mean Marshtail and Applefur?" Toadfoot laughed. "Yes. As a matter of fact, they're behind you, getting ready to scare your fur off."

"You're no fun!" Applefur mewed poutily, cuffing her brother playfully.

_Applefur._

No! What was he _doing? _He couldn't betray his birth Clan for something as foolish as a she-cat, especially since the only evidence that she felt the same was a kithood nose-touch!

Marshtail and Applefur padded past him to join Toadfoot. "How're things in ThunderClan, Birchheart?" Marshtail asked.

"Great," he replied. "Not much is new, though."

"Same with ShadowClan," Applefur informed him. As Birchheart met her eyes, there was a new feeling he couldn't identify in her eyes. His fur grew hot, and he looked away, embarrassed. Thankfully, a yowl from Onestar to start the Gathering saved both cats from having to break the awkward silence.

* * *

After the leaders finished their news, the cats began to join their Clans to leave. Before he lost his chance, Birchheart placed his tail on Applefur's shoulder. Getting her attention, he whispered into her ear, "Meet me at the Tallpine on the border tonight. I need to talk to you." Applefur looked into his eyes, puzzled. But there was something else there. 

"But… we can't! It's against—"

"Please, Applefur," he pleaded.

"Well… I don't know…"

"Please?"

"Well... okay, I guess. But it has to be quick. And this better be important."

Without another word, Applefur joined her bothers and walked away.

And finally, Birchheart knew why it was doubly painful to see her go.

* * *

Applefur padded back to camp, Marshtail and Toadfoot flanking her. _What could Birchheart possibly need to tell me?_ She asked herself._ I'm going against my Clan to meet him! _

"Applefur? Are you all right?" Marshtail asked, obviously concerned.

"You seem very distracted," Toadfoot added.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine, thanks. Just thinking." Well, it wasn' t a _complete _lie. "Hey, I think I'm going to hunt for a bit. We're running low on fresh-kill. See you back at camp!" Applefur mewed quickly, and bounded away to meet Birchheart._ What does he want to tell me?_

* * *

Birchheart had slipped away from camp as soon as he could. He waited silently in the bushes, willing Applefur to come. He needed to tell her. _You're betraying your Clan, mouse-brain! You should know that these things never work out! Graystripe... Yellowfang... _Bluestar... what _are you _thinking 

_You're thinking that you love her. _

Suddenly, a she-cat's whisper brought him back to reality.

"Birchheart?"

"I'm here," he replied, slipping out of the bush, and he again felt his fur grow hot.

_Applefur._

"What did you need to tell me? This isn't exactly safe. Blackstar would claw my ears off if he knew I was here." Applefur's tail swished impatiently as Birchheart met her eyes. Was there hope in them?

"I…" he gulped, swallowing his fear of rejection. "Every time I see you, my fur gets hot. When I meet you eyes, I can't hold the gaze. I… I think I love you, Applefur."

"You... love me." Applefur repeated slowly. This _is what he wanted to tell me?_

Birchheart's tail drooped. "Yes, Applefur, I do. I will forever. And that's all that matters." _She doesn' t love me back. No. NO!_

"I'm sorry, Birchheart. I don't know what to say," She mewed sorrowfully. _I... I don't know how I feel. Do I love him?_

"Say that you love me, too," he whispered. "Please, tell me you do." He had to bite his lip to keep from caterwauling in pain.

"We'd be betraying our Clans, Birchheart. I... I need to think." And then, she turned on her paws and sprinted away.

She didn't love him. That was it.

_Applefur._

* * *

**Haha! Cliffie! Yes, I will be turning this into a series... I'll update soon! Review and tell me what you think.**


	2. Who Can I Talk To?

**Mmkay, here's chapter two! Thanks to Saf Dawnheart for proofreading. And you were my only reveiwer, other than Dreamcloud's Courage. **

**You both get Applefur plushies!**

**Disclaimer: Until I get a bajillion dollars, I don't own Warriors.**

* * *

Birchheart padded back to camp quietly, tail and head drooping. He slipped into the warrior's den as quietly as he could, and curled up in his den. 

_She doesn't love me, _he thought sadly. _How stupid could I have been? She's from ShadowClan! We could never be together. _

_But do I care?_

_No. I still love her, and I always will. We can still be friends... right?_

All he could think about was the golden-red she-cat. She was beautiful. And she had left him there, standing like a heap of foxdung after her had told her how he felt.

_It's better this way, _he tried to convince himself, _This way we won't have to betray our Clans. We don't have to worry about being found out. And I'll never have to worry about fighting ShadowClan, and she ThunderClan. _But try as he might, he couldn't convince himself that it was truly better this way.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Birchheart?" It was Whitenose. The she-cat at him, concerned. 

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I'm fine, thank you, Whitenose."

She squinted and studied his face. "You don't look fine," she commented. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Birchheart shook his head. "Thanks."

"Well, at least eat something. Do you want to share a mouse?" She blurted out.

Birchheart sighed. "Sure, Whitenose. I'd love to." He walked to the fresh-kill pile, and picked a plump mouse for the two to share. Setting it down near the den, he ans Whitenose stooped to eat the fresh-kill.

"You know, Birchheart," Whitenose mewed in between bites, "I really think that you need to talk about whatever's bugging you. If you don't want to, that's fine, but at least go and see Leafpool. She might be able to help."

* * *

"Leafpool, I don't feel well." 

"What's wrong, Birchheart?" The she-cat, too, had known the pain of forbidden love. But they were so different; her love had loved her back.

"I don't know. I hurt all over."

"Okay. Poppy seeds, then."

She dissapeared into the back of her den, and returned with five poppy seeds and another herb.

"Eat these leaves, too. They'll help as well." He blinked the tabby his thanks, and obediently ate both, and suddenly he realized what the other herb was.

Chamomile. The herb to soothe the heart.

She knew.

* * *

Applefur sprinted back to camp as fast as her paws would carry her. _He loves me, _she thought, bewildered. _Birchheart loves me. But… do I love him?_ She knew that she had to talk to someone about this, but she didn't know who to tell. Not Tallpoppy… she would never forgive her for falling for a ThunderClanner. Not Toadfoot. He might like Birchheart, but he was loyal to ShadowClan and would never speak to his sister again. Marshtail! He would understand. 

Tomorrow, she would talk to Marshtail.

* * *

"Marshtail, I need to speak to you. Alone." 

Marshtail nodded, and followed his sister without a word._ This is why I love Marshtail, _she told herself. _He's the best brother ever. _She led him to the lake, where she knew there wouldn't be a patrol for a while. She could talk to him here.

"What's wrong, Applefur? You seemed really upset last night." His eyes searched hers, concerned. Applefur knew they were closer than most brothers and sisters, and they knew that they were always there for each other.

"Can you keep a secret, Marshtail?"  
"I don't know. Depends on the secret."

Applefur took a deep breath. "I really need you to keep this one, Marshtail. I really need to tell you and I really need you to keep it," she pleaded.

Marshtail nodded silently, and flicked his tail for her to continue.

"Last night, after the Gathering, I didn't go hunting. I went to meet Birchheart."

Marshtail's eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing.

"He told me he loved me."

Marshtail held his breath, then let it out in a huge, long sigh. "I had a feeling he would tell you that sooner or later. I just hoped I was wrong." He shook his head. "What did you tell him?" he asked uneasily.

"I told him that we'd be betraying our Clans and that I needed to think. I don't know how I feel." Applefur looked at her paws, ashamed and embarrassed. "You must think I'm a real mouse-brain."

"No, I don't." Marshtail pressed his muzzle into her fur comfortingly. "I think you did the right thing. You didn't rush into it. You gave yourself time to think." He swished his tail back and forth. "Now, I'm going to ask you a question that you might not want to answer. Do you love him back?"

Applefur blinked. "I…"

* * *

**Dun dun DUUUN! Review, please! I need some, or I might not continue with the story...**


	3. Capture

**So, here it finally is! Hope you all like it!**

* * *

"I…" Applefur studied her paws as they kneaded the ground. _The only reason that I haven't answered you, Marshtail, is because I'm afraid of what the answer may be._

"Applefur?"

She gulped. "I… think I do, Marshtail."

Marshtail sighed. "I expected as much."

"I'm sorry, Marshtail," she mewed. "There's nothing I can do about my feelings."

"I know. The only question is, what are you going to do?"

* * *

"Leafpool, why did you give me chamomile?" Birchheart demanded. He wanted to know just how much she knew. 

The medicine cat gave his ear a swift, comforting lick, and then mewed quietly, "I'm not the only one who loves one from a different Clan, Birchheart."

Birchheart stiffened. She knew everything.

"What... what do you mean?" he meowed quickly.

"Just because I'm a medicine cat doesn't make me blind." Leafpool purred. "I can see the way you look at Applefur."

"Then why haven't you told Firestar or Graystripe?"

"Because I was in your paws, once."

"But—"

"Go talk to her. You obviously don't know how she feels yet, or you wouldn't be so depressed. Go, you mouse-brain! I'll cover for you."

Birchheart blinked gratefully at the she-cat, and tore out of the camp to the Tallpine.

_Applefur.

* * *

_

The golden-red she-cat purred and gave Marshtail a friendly lick. "Thank you," she whispered. "I knew you'd understand."

Her brother nudged her. "Go," he mewed playfully, "Before I change my mind."

Applefur flicked her tail in thanks, and ran toward the Tallpine. _I love you, Birchheart! I'm coming!

* * *

_

As she reached the Tallpine, she almost crashed into Birchheart, who looked sullen but hopeful. "I was hoping I'd find you here," she meowed. "I talked to Marshtail about what you said… and I have something to tell you. I… I think—" her confession was cut off by a Twoleg. He had shot something strange into her. He knew, somehow, that it wouldn't kill her, but that it would paralyze her—if only temporarily.

"Applefur!" He cried.

"No, Birchheart… run, before they get you, too." Sure enough, the Twoleg had a strange stick pointed straight at Birchheart.

"I'll come back for you!" He growled, and tore back to camp before the clumsy thing could get him too. Only one thing was running through his head: _She never even told me if she loved me back.

* * *

_

Devastated, Birchheart padded back to camp. He needed to talk to Leafpool… she would understand! She already knew, so he had nothing to lose.

He walked slowly into the medicine cat's den sadly, tail dragging in the dust.

Leafpool looked up from her poultice, and catching the defeated look on his face, padded over and pressed her muzzle into his gray fur.

"I'm sorry you didn't hear it back," she meowed sincerely.

"Actually," he confessed sadly, "I didn't hear anything. The Twolegs took her."

The she-cat's head snapped up. "No," she mewed in disbelief. "They're here, too?"

"Apparently," Birchheart replied angrily, fur bristling.

Leafpool shook her head. "Well, I wish there was some advice I could offer you, Birchheart. But the only thing I can offer you is, _if you really love Applefur, how are you going to get her back?_" And, judging by the look in her eyes, the brown tabby wasn't joking.

"You really think I should try to save her? Not leave it up to her Clan?"

Leafpool nodded fiercely.

"But what would Firestar think? I'd be breaking the warrior code!"

"Sometimes, Birchheart, you have to break the code to do what's right. Firestar did it himself quite a few times, as I'm sure any cat would tell you."

Birchheart blinked gratefully. "Leafpool, I don't think a Clan has ever had a medicine cat like you," he purred. "Thank you. For everything."

* * *

_Who will help me save her? _Birchheart wondered as he stalked a mouse. Pouncing and killing the mouse in one swift second, the answer came to him. 

_Marshtail_. He knew, since Applefur had told him… and maybe he could get Toadfoot to come too! Maybe… maybe he could even get Whitenose or Spiderleg to come. After all, she was one of his best friends, and Spiderleg _was _his brother.

Birchheart picked up the mouth in his jaws and went to where he had buried a chaffinch early. He dug it up and grabbed it as well, and padded back to camp.

_I'll approach Marshtail first, _he decided. _I caught his scent today. I'll just wait for him where I smelled him. _

He tossed his catch onto the fresh-kill pile, and waited until sunset to pad back to the border of ShadowClan. _I've been here much too often lately, _he thought to himself. _I hope they don't start to recognize my scent._

Suddenly, the scent of the cat he had been waiting for became much fresher.

"Marshtail!" Birchheart hissed quietly..

Marshtail nodded, and meowed to the rest of his patrol, "I'll scout up ahead. You go towards the lake and make sure that RiverClan is respecting their boundaries." After a few moments, he whispered, "You can come out, Birchheart."

"I'm sorry, Marshtail," he whispered as he stepped out of his hiding spot. "I'm so, so sorry."

Marshtail's eyes were flooded with worry and concern. "Did ThunderClan take Applefur prisoner? Is she all right? Where is she?"

Birchheart lowered his head. "Twolegs took her."

"They followed us from the old forest!" he spat angrily.

"I… I don't know. I tried to save her… maybe we can find her. I think we might be able to find her is we follow the Thunderpath. I know it's through WindClan's territory, but it may be the only way to save Applefur."

Marshtail nodded solemnly. "I'll help. StarClan can't stop me!" he declared. "I'll try to convince Toadfoot, too. I'll meet you at the Twoleg Path at sunset tomorrow."

* * *

"Spiderleg, Whitenose, can I talk to you? Alone?" 

The two cats exchanged confused glances, and got up from sharing tounges.

"Of course, Birchheart. What is it?" Spiderleg asked. He seemed a bit concerned. He led his friends to behind Leafpool's den. Taking a deep breath, he realized what it meant to confess this to any Clan member other than Leafpool. _But I would trust these two with my life, _he realized.

He quickly filled his two Clanmates in on all that had happened, and they watched him, unmoving in stony silence. As soon as he requested their help, the white she-cat and the black, long-legged tom exchanged glances and mewed in perfect unison:

"We're in."

* * *

**Wow, that was the longest chappie I've ever written! Not including this note, it's 1087 words! -wipes sweat from forehead-**

**If I could write a 1087 word chappie for you, you could write me a reveiw with many less words, right? Please? I have marshmellows!**


	4. Warm Strangers and Cold Friends

**Thanks to all my reviewers! As promised, you all get marshmellows!**

* * *

It was sunset. Three cats padded solemnly together towards the Twoleg Path, the strange light making their coats turn pinkish rose. Not a word was spoken between the group of rescuers—they would not speak, for fear of alerting their Clan's patrol to their presence. 

As they reached the path, they sat silently, waiting for the other group. "Whitenose, Spiderleg," a gray tom bravely mewed, "thank you so much for coming. You have no idea what this means to me." The other two cats merely nodded their 'you're welcomes,' still refusing to speak.

"Birchheart, Whitnose, Spiderleg." Two ShadowClan cats stepped from the shadows. "I'm glad you all came."

"I am too, Marshtail," the gray ThunderClanner mewed back. He nodded to Marshtail's brother, Toadfoot, who didn't seem happy with traveling with three members of another Clan, even if one was a friend.

Spiderleg narrowed his eyes and stepped protectively in front of the other two cats. "I am here for one reason. My brother needed to save the cat he's in love with. And if you're going to pull sour faces about it, Toadfoot, you may as well go home and leave finding Applefur to us."

Birchheart was stunned. He'd never heard Spiderleg speak with such force and daring, and judging by the look on her face, neither had Whitenose. Toadfoot merely dipped his head, put in his place.

"Well, then, now that that's sorted out," Marshtail meowed heavily, "We may as well start our journey. Lead the way, Birchheart."

The ThunderClan tom nodded, spun on his paws, and quietly slunk through ThunderClan's territory toward WindClan's, along with the Thunderpath—and his love.

* * *

A she-cat's eyes snapped open in alarm. _Where am I_? she thought frantically. She raised her head, and realized that her paws rested on a cold, gray rod—in fact, wherever she was, the place was made out of it. And not only that, cats surrounded her on every side, only separated by the rods. They were to her right, to her left, and across from her. 

"'Ey, mates, that new 'un's awake!" A golden tabby tom mewed. His blue eyes glinted at her from across the space.

"Really?" Came a she-cat's voice came from her left. She turned, and the silver she-cat meowed, impressed, "Well. So she is."

"Say, wut's you name?" The first cat asked.

""I… I'm Applefur," she meowed back, confused.

"Huh. Strange name," the she-cat commented.

"It is not!" Applefur retorted, bristling.

"If you say so. I'm Skye, and that ginger tom is Sunny," the she-cat informed her.

"You think _my _name's strange," Applefur muttered quietly.

"Eh? Sorry, pretty, ole Sunny didn't catch tha'."

"Nothing. Where am I?"

Skye chuckled. "Why, you're in the shelter, silly!"

"What's a shelter?"

"A place where stray animals get taken. Twolegs adopt you here."

_No. NO! _"But I'm a ShadowClan cat!" Applefur protested.

"Whassa ShadowClan?" Sunny meowed.

These cats didn't know about ShadowClan! She had to get out of here. She just _had _to. Otherwise… well, she didn't want to think about that. _Birchheart… come, please… I need to tell you that I love you! I don't want to be a kittypet! "_Is there a way out of here?" she found herself asking.

"A way out? Heavens, no!" the silver cat purred in amusement. "The only way out is when a Twoleg comes and they want to play with you and take you home."

"You mean… the only way out is to play with a Twoleg and get taken by them?" Applefur asked, horrified.

"Yes'm," Sunny replied. "As a matter o' fact, here comes 'un right now!" The two cats paced excitedly with the prospect of being adopted. Applefur, though, hissed and spat until she realized: _If the Twoleg takes me, I may be able to escape from its nest and find Birchheart!_

After thinking about this, she sheathed her claws and nonchalantly began to groom her fur. The Twoleg came up to her set of rods, and said some words that she couldn't understand. Another Twoleg put something strange into a hole in the front, and the door swung open. The first Twoleg picked her up and set her on the floor, as Skye and Sunny watched enviously.

Applefur swallowed her pride and refused to smell as she pressed herself against the hand of the disgusting thing, but the Twoleg smiled and said some more strange words. Next thing she knew, Applefur was in the belly of a monster, going to a Twoleg nest. Closing her eyes, Applefur willed herself to sleep, so that she could dream about the cat who made life worth living: _Birchheart.

* * *

_

The group of traveling cats were deep in WindClan territory now, and they trekked as silently as they could through the moorland. Even though it was moonhigh by now, there still weren't many places to hide here, so they had to be extremely careful. No matter what had happened in the past, Onestar and his warriors still wouldn't be pleased to find ShadowClan or ThunderClan in his territory.

"Do you think we'll be found out?" Birchheart heard Whitenose mew nervously.

"I don't know," Spiderleg replied. "I sure hope not."

The conversation between the two ThunderClan cats reminded Birchheart how quiet Toadfoot and Marshtail had been on the whole journey. The ShadowClanners had barely exchanged a mew since they had set out from the Twoleg path, and their silence, especially Toadfoot's, worried Birchheart. He fell back to try to talk to his friend, instructing Marshtail to take the lead.

"Toadfoot," he whispered, "What's wrong? You don't seem to be thrilled to be rescuing your sister. You might return a hero!"

The tom turned to him, a mix of fear, disappointment, and anger glowing in his fierce eyes. "You want to know what's wrong?" he spat quietly. "My sister was taken by Twolegs because she went to meet _you! _A _ThunderClan _cat! It's your fault she was taken, and you know it!"

"Calm down, Toadfoot! It's not Birchheart's fault!" Marshtail's voice came from the front. "Applefur can't control her feelings, just as you couldn't for Sunstripe."

Toadfoot met Marshtail's eyes defiantly. "I know. But _I _chose someone from my own Clan! Couldn't _she _have chosen someone from ShadowClan? Robinwing has had his eye on her for moons."

"No. She can't control her feelings!" Birchheart retorted. "She doesn't love me, anyway. She came to tell me that. I know it," Birchheart finished, hanging his head sadly.

Mischief glinted quickly in Marshtail's eyes, but he said nothing.

"I don't I _care _why she met you! All that matters is that she _did! _And now she's gone!" Toadfoot spat at Birchheart, not bothering to lower his voice.

"Be _quiet, _Toadfoot!" Whitenose snapped. "You'll alert WindClan!"

"Oh, I'm afraid it's much too late for that." The group of five spun around, startled, and there behind them was a patrol of five WindClan warriors.

* * *

**Oh no! What will happen now? Will Applefur be turned into a kittypet forever, or will Birchheart save her? Will the rescuers live past the WindClan patrol? Review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Strange Conversations

**Wow guys, sorry for the hiatus! I'll make it up to you with this chappie, I hope. I really like how it turned out.**

* * *

When the reddish-gold she-cat opened her eyes, the monster had stopped its roaring and lurching and stopping in front of a Twoleg nest. Applefur wrinkled her nose at the stench

and the Twoleg that had been stroking her back; just because she had wanted to be taken by the Twoleg didn't mean that she liked it. She had only allowed herself to be chosen because she thought she could escape and find Birchheart. The gray ThunderClan tom walked in her dreams, even though she was a member of ShadowClan. And even though she knew he loved her, he didn't know if she loved him, since she had been shot by Twolegs before she could tell him.

The Twoleg grabbed Applefur, slipping his hand under her belly, despite her protests. He opened the monster, stepped out, and carried the she-cat into the nest—which smelled of another cat. But there was something strange about the scent… something she couldn't identify.

Before the Twoleg let her go, he took a black strap of fabric and wrapped it around her neck. _No, _she thought, horrified, _a collar! _She shook, but it wouldn't come off. She sighed, defeated, and the Twoleg placed her on the ground next to a bowl of water… and from something that must be food. That was what it must be, even though it looked and smelled like rabbit droppings.

Shaking her head to clear it, she padded away from the strange bowls to find the best ways out of the nest. When she finally found a cat flap and stepped outside, she was disappointed to see that there was a fence surrounding the Twoleg's territory—one to high for her to jump. She did smell something else, though—where the strange scent was coming from? There was a large, fat, gray-and-black striped cat curled up in a patch of catnip; the odd thing was, though, she couldn't tell if the cat was a tom or a she-cat.

"Hello?" Applefur mewed tentatively.

The strange smelling cat lifted its head, studied her, and meowed back, "Hello" in a voice that was definitely a tom's. But why didn't he smell like one?

"I'm Applefur," she ventured bravely, wanting to find out more about the cat.

"No, you're not," he replied back. "The Twolegs are calling you Sadie. That's your name now."

Applefur looked at him blankly. _What? My name isn't my name anymore? _Sadie? _Ugh!_

She gulped down her disgust at her new "name" and asked, "Well? What's your name?"

"Tom," he replied lazily.

_How original. _She decided to go a bit further, and ask Tom why he didn't smell like his namesake.

"Because I went to the vet," he meowed nonchalantly. Apparently, this cat felt no need to move or talk.

"The vet?"

"You know, where you get fixed."

"The _Cutter?_" she meowed in disbelief. "Will I be sent there too?"

"You?" The dark once-tom raised his head to sniff the air. "No. They don't send she-cats to the vet."

Applefur heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan," she muttered under her breath.

"What's a StarClan?"

_Fantastic, _Applefur thought sarcastically, _I've met three cats that don't know what StarClan is, let alone believe in it. Birchheart, get here _soon!

* * *

"So, would you like to explain _why _you're on WindClan territory? And _why _ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats are together?" Birchheart could recognize the tom that had spat this out as Crowfeather. Ever since Leafpool had stopped seeing him, he had been more spiteful and pricklier than ever.

"Shall we rip them to shreds, Birchheart?" Surprised by the voice coming from behind him, Birchheart whirled to see Whitenose looking at him expectantly, tail fluffed out.

"No," replied he replied coolly. "We are on their territory. Besides, they look stronger than us."

The words that came from his mouth were completely true. Besides Crowfeather, the patrol consisted of Tornear, Moonshine, Orangefur, and Nightcloud.

"Well? Do you have an explanation?" Crowfeather urged spitefully.

Birchheart intook his breath sharply, not wanting to explain. "Go on," he heard Spiderleg whisper, "Crowfeather'll understand. Remember Leafpool." His brother's voice was nothing but encouraging.

"I can give you a reason, Crowfeather," Birchheart meowed, hoping he sounded braver than he felt, "but I can't talk about it in front of all these cats. Please, let's speak in private." The dark gray tom narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him, but he finally mewed, "All right. But I want to keep my patrol within sight." Birchheart nodded gratefully, and quickly padded about fifty fox-lengths away. He told Crowfeather about their mission, and he saw the tom's eyes soften as he explained, pain flooding them, but ears still pricked.

"You're just like me," he whispered. "Everything that matters torn away."

Birchheart lowered his head respectfully. "Sadly, Crowfeather, that's true. I wouldn't wish this on any cat." He thought for a moment, trying to think of what to say. Then he remembered Leafpool: "Crowfeather… if it helps at all, every cat in ThunderClan knows that a part of Leafpool is always with you. She still loves you, you know. No matter how loyal she is."

The older tom smiled weakly, and meowed, "Tell her that I will always love her. I'll wait for her." He seemed to be lost in thought, unable to meet Birchheart's eyes or speak. After a long while, he looked up. "I'll let you pass, Birchheart," Crowfeather finally meowed, "but if I find you in my territory after sunset tomorrow, I'll rip you to shreds. And _no prey_."

Birchheart blinked in gratitude, and bounded back to his cats. "Let's go," he meowed quickly. "WindClan has decided to let us pass." He saw Marshtail glance at the patrol, wonder and thanks in his eyes; Toadfoot, however, refused to take his eyes off his paws. He heard Spiderleg whisper to the ShadowClan tom, "You need to get a grip on yourself, Toadfoot. You're not helping! All you're doing is bringing us down. If you really care for your sister, you'll cheer up and accept what's happened! I don't like the situation any more than you do, but we have to accept what's fact. And Birchheart's care for Applefur is just that."

Toadfoot screeched and lunged at Spiderleg. Whirling around, Birchheart saw his brother entangled in a full-out fight with Toadfoot; he couldn't jump in to come to his aid, since the two were rolling and fighting so rapidly that there was a chance he would land on Spiderleg, not help him. All he could was stand frozen to the spot. He caught Whitenose's eye; she had worry and concern fiery in her eyes, but she knew that there was nothing she could do. Marshtail just sat there, openmouthed in horror. The toms were lost in a cloud of flying fur, claws, and teeth, and no cat could make out who was where. They spat and hissed, sending up clouds of dust with their racing paws, until Toadfoot managed to pin Spiderleg down. The long-legged tom squirmed with all his might, but the ShadowClanner was relentless.

"Toadfoot, _stop!_" Marshtail cried. "Spiderleg's _right! _The tom looked at his brother angrily and retracted his claws. He stepped angrily from his position over Spiderleg, who was breathing—and bleeding—heavily. Whitenose, eyes bright with compassion, rushed over and began to lick the black cat's wounds.

"Toadfoot," Birchheart whispered, "Why did you do that?"

"Because, mouse-brain," he spat angrily, "I don't _care _how you feel! You can't love her! You had her stolen!"

"But why did you attack Spiderleg, and not me? He didn't deserve it. It's my fault."

At this, Toadfoot paused thoughtfully. "You know what? You're right." Toadfoot lunged at the gray ThunderClan tom, looking like he was ready to kill his kithood friend. Claws unsheathed once again, they were still bloody—and lunging right at Birchheart's neck. Dodging quickly, Toadfoot stumbled and fell. It only took Birchheart a few moments to place a paw threateningly on the back of his neck. "I don't want to hurt you, Toadfoot," he stated clearly, "but I will if I have to."

"You wouldn't dare." He spat.

"Try me."

"Birchheart, please, don't." It was Marshtail. The tom looked from his brother to his friend, pain and confusion in his eyes.

"Only for you, Marshtail." He removed his back from the back of Toadfoot's neck and nudged him to his paws. "Come on," he whispered encouragingly, trying to forget what had happened, "We need to get off WindClan territory if we're going to eat-- or find Applefur."

"Spiderleg's in no condition to go anywhere!" Whitenose mewed frantically, casting a furious glare at Toadfoot, who was being restrained by Marshtail. "I'm no medicine cat, but I do know that if he moves, he'll loose too much blood too quickly. He needs to rest." She touched her nose to his fur comfortingly, but he didn't feel it—he had fallen asleep.

"Okay, then," Birchheart replied. "Do you think he'll be ready by sunhigh tomorrow?" Whitenose nodded. "Then we leave at sunhigh." The white she-cat thanked him with her eyes, and after finding a small shelter, curled up next to Spiderleg, nose in his fur. Birchheart walked slowly past Marshtail, and whispered in his ear, "Keep an eye on Toadfoot. I don't want to be dead before sunhigh." The kind tom nodded, and the remaining three journeyers drifted off into the ebbing black wave that was sleep.

* * *

"Tom," Applefur whispered, jabbing the sleeping cat lightly with her forepaw, "Tom, wake up. I need to talk to you."

The gray-and-black tom lifted his head woozily. "Now look what you've done," he meowed, opening his eyes, "You woke me from my nap. And I was having a good dream, too."

"Sorry, Tom," she replied hastily. "But I need to know—how do you get into the forest?"

At that, Tom purred loudly with amusement. "The forest? Why would you want to go there?

"Because it's my home…and I have things I need to tell some cats." _Birchheart…_

Tom purred again. "Well, sorry, kitty, you're out of luck. There's no way you're getting back into that forest unless one of our housefolk throws you over the fence itself."

"But I need to tell Birchheart I love him!" She yowled.

The cat's yellow eyes glowed with amusement. "Well then," he meowed, "How are we going to get our Twoleg to throw you over the fence?"

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Review, please!!**


	6. Author's Note

I'm really sorry I haven't updated. I'm sorry to all my faithful reviewers--especailly you, Sapphirepaw--but I've had so many bad things happen to me this year that I just...I haven't been able to write. I've tried so many times--you have no idea how hard--but I just...can't. I'm trying to write another chapter now, I really am, and it's coming along. I've finally got my creativity back, to an extent. So a new chapter should be out soon, and once again, I'm sorry. I really, truly am.

Much love,

Blazeheart.


	7. Of Loves, Escapes, and Attacks

* * *

"What?"

"I said, how are we going to get one of our housefolk to throw you over the fence?"

The golden-red she-cat's emerald eyes shone with excitement and gratitude. "Really, Tom? Oh, thank you so much! Thank you!" She purred.

The once-tom shrugged indifferently. "You're in love. I'd help any cat for that reason." He seemed to be a bit pained, and he seemed a bit distant. "And you'd never be happy here. I'd have to listen to your pathetic wailing all day!"

Appplefur purred. "Tom, you're the best. Thanks so much…" she trailed off and whispered, "Birchheart, I'm coming."

"Okay, Sadie, so here's the plan…"

Sadie. She wasn't free _yet._

* * *

Birchheart awoke the next morning, sun streaming through the leaves of the trees. It was just before sunhigh, and all the cat seemed to still be peacefully sleeping, even Toadfoot. He stretched, curving his back and extending each paw, then went to wake the others. First, he woke Whitenose. He touched his nose gently to her fur, and the white she-cat lifted her head.

"Oh…g'morning, Birchheart," she meowed. She turned her head casting a look at Spiderleg. She had concern and…love?...in her eyes.

_Whitenose and Spiderleg… _Birchheart could barely look at the pair. Spiderleg had awoken, and was now quietly whispering something to Whitenose, who giggled.

_Will I ever have what they do? _he wondered. He cared so much for Applefur, but he couldn't have her. They were from separate Clans! And not just different Clans--ones that had hated each other from the beginning. His brother was lucky. He had a she-cat he could care for openly, and he didn't have something keeping them apart.

* * *

"Are you sure that'll work, Tom?" Applefur asked, unsure.

"Positive," the once-tom replied confidently. He tasted the air. "Here comes one now. Get in position."

Obediently, Applefur sat with her tail tucked neatly over her dainty paws. She made her emerald eyes wide and soft, even though she was disgusted by the smell. _Oh well, _she thought to herself. _The sooner this Twoleg picks me up, the sooner I get to see Birchheart…if he's still alive… _No. _He _is _alive. And he's looking for me right now. _Applefur tried to push the thoughts out of her head. He couldn't be dead! Could he?

The Twoleg stepped out of its nest and looked down at Applefur. It showed its teeth, and bent down to stroke her.

Tom purred. "Good, Sadie," he meowed, ignoring her wince at her name. "Don't let him bother you. Press into his hand. He'll pick you up sooner."

"It smells disgusting!" she mewled.

"Really? Huh. I don't think so. Oh well. I guess it's just what you're used to."

Suddenly Applefur felt her paws lift off the ground. She commanded herself to not squirm, despite her instincts. Letting the thing pat her head for a few moments, she kept her claws retracted.

"Now, Sadie! _Now!_" Tom yowled.

Applefur acted fast. She sank her sharp claws into the Twoleg's hand, biting its arm with her perfectly pointed teeth. The Twoleg yelped, and letting go, threw her over the fence.

* * *

Birchheart had led his group out of WindClan territory. It had taken a while, with his and Spiderleg's injuries, but they had been out before sunset. Now, the travelers were in a no-cat's land. The land didn't belong to and Clan, so they were free to eat as they wished. Despite his injuries, Birchheart had found it easy to catch a mouse for all of the travelers. He decided that it was because the mice here weren't used to cats, so they really had no reason to know what was going on.

He sighed. If it wasn't for him, _Applefur _could be catching mice now. She wouldn't be wherever she was, and he certainly wouldn't be entertaining the possibility that he might too late to save her.

"Are you all right, Birchheart?" Spinning on his paws, the gray cat saw Marshtail.

"I don't know, Marshtail. I just…don't know."

"I don't blame you, you know," he said softly, looking at his paws.

Birchheart's eyes widened in surprise. "You…don't?"

"No." He lifted his head to meet Birchheart's eyes. "It wasn't your fault—or hers, for that matter. It was the Twolegs." The cat must have seen Birchheart's involuntary twitch in Toadfoot's direction. "And don't worry about Toadfoot. He takes everything to the extreme and loves placing blame. He won't mess with you or your friends again—I'll see to that." He looked at his paws. "Applefur wouldn't want us to be enemies."

"Don't talk about her as if she's dead!" he hissed in despair.

"Birchheart," Marshtail mewed gently, "It hurts me, too. But we have to consider the possibility."

"I won't. I refuse—" The tom's voice was cut of by the loud wail of a she-cat in pain. Indicating that Marshtail should take over, he sped closer to the noise.

What met his eyes both made him whole and tore his heart to pieces. A golden-red she-cat was being attacked by a huge, muscular, vicious dog.

And she was losing.

* * *

**Oooooh, cliffie! I hope I've finally gotten back into the swing of things. If you were one of the first readers, thanks for sticking with me--especially you, Sapphirepaw. If you're a new reader, thanks for reading. Review:)**


	8. Dogfights and Reunions

* * *

Applefur dodged the huge paw of the great, lumbering dog. Despite all of her fighting skills—she was one of the best in her Clan—but the dog was just too big, too strong. The way it was going, she couldn't keep up for much longer—both of her flanks were badly scratched, her right paw was bleeding, and her tail bent at an odd angle towards the middle.

However, she ignored her injuries. She leapt into the air, hissing, scratching frantically at anything her claws could reach as she landed squarely on the shoulders of the dog. But that didn't stop it for long. It merely twisted powerfully, wrenching her off his back and pinning her to the ground. She spoke between each panting breath:

"You—won't—get—me—before—I see—_Birchheart_!"

Applefur gasped as she saw a streak of gray fur dart in to slash at the dog's face, making him lift up just enough for her to squeeze out of the dog's grasp.

"Later, Applefur!" he yowled.

She needed no further instruction. Hissing, the golden-red she-cat leapt into battle beside the one cat she truly loved.

Birchheart bit at the dog's heels, slithering under his belly as its gigantic paw missed him by inches. Furiously, he raked at the dog's belly as Applefur attacked its back. Howling in pain, the dog angrily leapt into the air, trying to throw Applefur off.

And as he came down, one of his paws landed on Birchheart's stomach with a sickening crunch.

"Birchheart!" Applefur wailed. "_No_!" Rage welled up inside the she-cat's stomach. She fought harder than she ever had, hanging on to the dog's back as she tore her claws across its eyes. She leapt down, and before Applefur could even aim another blow, the dog tucked its tail between its legs and ran off, whimpering. She sped to Birchheart's side.

"Birchheart? Birchheart!" She licked his face frantically. "Wake up!"

"Applefur?"

She second-guessed herself. Had he really spoken? Or was she just imagining it? "Yes. Yes, it's me," she replied, hoping with all her might for a reply.

"You're okay." He smiled weakly.

"But you're not!" she mewed as she breathed a sigh of relief—he was still alive.

"Marsh…tail…"

She nodded quickly, not bothering to ask why.  
"Marshtail!" she yowled, lifting her head to StarClan and mustering all her strength. "Come quickly!"

She flopped to Birchheart's side. "Don't…hang on, Birchheart. You're going to be okay…." She hoped to StarClan she was right as she licked some of his scratches.

"I…I don't…" he coughed.

"No! No, you will be! Because—"

"_Applefur_?"

"Marshtail!" She rose to meet her brother. "Dog fight. Birchheart saved me, but now…" she sputtered, looking mournfully to the gray tom.

"We'll talk later. I'll tell Toadfoot, Whitenose, and Spiderleg to come immediately and stay with you. I'm going to find Littlecloud." He tore off in the direction he'd come from.

Only moments later, three cats appeared. Two smelled like toms, and the other was a she-cat. Anger and fear-scent emitted from all three.

"Whitenose? Toadfoot? Spiderleg…?" she called tentatively.

"Yes. It's us!" replied a she-cat, arriving at Applefur's side. "I'm so glad we found you, Applefur! If only—" She stopped mid-sentence, mouth agape as she caught sight of Birchheart.

"My…my brother…" A tom, leaning on the white she-cat's flank for support, stared at Birchheart in sheer horror.

"Spiderleg, I'm so sorry. There was a dog, and he tried to save me—"

"Don't talk about me like I'm dead! I'm not yet!" Birchheart protested weakly. He coughed and spluttered. His chest rose only with great effort and his usually bright eyes looked glassy.

"Serves you right if you were," Toadfoot muttered.

"_What?_ Toadfoot, how can you say that? He saved my life!" Applefur hissed, hackles rising.

"If it weren't for him, your life wouldn't need saving in the first place!"

"But Toadfoot—"

"No! He can't have you! He's a ThunderClan cat! You're in _Shadow_Clan! Or have you forgotten?" he sneered.

"Toadfoot!" Spiderleg and Whitenose hissed together.

"No! It's not like she really loves him, anyway!"

"But, Toadfoot," Applefur meowed quietly, moving closer to the injured Birchheart, "I do."

* * *

**Will Birchheart live? How will Toadfoot react? Review and tell me how you liked this chapter! ;)**

**Much love, Blazeheart**


	9. You're My Brother

"You _what_?"

"I love him, Toadfoot," Applefur whispered. "I love him more than anything."

Whitenose and Spiderleg exchanged glances filled with joy, hope, and fear.

_Fear? _

"How could you?" he hissed. "You're being disloyal to ShadowClan! You're breaking the warrior code!" He bared his teeth, his hackles raised, his tail whipped the air furiously and his eyes glittered with rage.

"First off, I haven't done anything wrong yet. Second, can't you just be happy for me, Toadfoot? You're my brother. You know there's no one for me in ShadowClan. But…I love Birchheart, even if he is from ThunderClan. I love him like you love Sunstripe." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"But that's different!" he spat back. "I love Sunstripe because she's in _ShadowClan. _Not _ThunderClan. _She's had my kits, for StarClan's sake!"

"And who's to say I won't have Birchheart's in the future?" she spat back. "Other cats've done it and managed to stay alive. Bluestar did it. Tigerstar did it, if you want to get technical."

"But you'll _die, _Applefur!" he protested. "What about that RiverClan she-cat Graystripe had kits with? She _died_. Why can't you stay within your own Clan? Robinwing has—"

"Don't even _speak _to me about him," she hissed angrily. "He's complete foxdung." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Fine, then," Toadfoot snarled. "If you won't stay within ShadowClan, you shouldn't be here at all!" He launched himself at her. Caterwauling in anger, he tore his claws down Applefur's face before she even had time to react.

She was caught up. She knew she had to fight back, but against her own brother…? No. That was just wrong. Keeping her claws sheathed and ignoring the blood dripping into her eyes, she forcefully threw her paw into her brother's side, sending him flying away.

"I'm not going to fight you, Toadfoot," she whispered. "You're my brother."

"I'm not related to a traitor like _you!_" he spat, charging at her again.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Whitenose and Spiderleg preparing to fight. "No!" she yowled, dodging Toadfoot's bite. "This isn't your fight and I don't want any more blood on my paws!" She threw herself to the left, Toadfoot's claws narrowly missing her ear.

"But Applefur!" Whitenose protested.

"No! If you want to help, one of you find Marshtail and Littlecloud and the other help Birchheart!"

Nodding quickly, Whitenose sped off in the direction Marshtail had left from and Spiderleg hobbled to his brother's side, refusing to look at the other two.

"Toadfoot, you don't want to do this!" Applefur reasoned with him as she dodged another blow.

"Yes, I do! You and Marshtail are no siblings of mine!" His claws connected with her flank. "Helping and loving cats from other Clans! And not _any _Clan, _Thunder_Clan!"

Wincing, Aplefur pushed through her pain and swatted at him again. "I can't help the way I feel!" she shot back. "You should be supportive! You're my brother!"

"No, I'm not!"

Sniffing the air, Applefur forced herself to not relax as she caught the scent of Whitenose, Marshtail and Littlecloud in the air.

"Whitenose told me what happened. Toadfoot, what are you _doing? _Stop!" cried a voice Applefur recognized as Marshtail's.

"Neither of you deserve to be alive! You're disloyal to ShadowClan!"

Littlefoot, being the cat he was, didn't miss a beat in attending to Birchheart as he said, "Toadfoot, you must stop _now. _If it was not for ThunderClan, I wouldn't be alive right now. I'm not all for the idea of Applefur and Birchheart being in love…" he became distant, "But I once loved the medicine cat of ThunderClan. She saved my life."

"Then you're a traitor as well!" Toadfoot hissed furiously. "My Clan is filled with traitors!"

Applefur gasped as she saw Marshtail leap to pin Toadfoot down. Placing a paw on the back of his neck, Marshtail meowed calmly. "If I'm not your brother, as Whitenose says she heard you claim, then I should have no qualms in killing you." He sighed. "I don't want to, Toadfoot." He nodded to Littlecloud, who stopped caring for Birchheart for a moment and forced sleeping herbs down Toadfoot's throat. "And I won't. Because no matter what you say, you're still my brother."


End file.
